Redux
by Avelynn Tame
Summary: Sequel, of sorts, to Scar. Rose comes face to face with her past.


Title: Redux

Summary: Sequel, of sorts, to Scar. Rose comes face to face with her past.

Author's Notes: I've learned a lesson regarding sequels in the past – the lesson being that nine times out of ten they're unnecessary, but I'm taking a leaf out of Jillybean's book for this one – I'm writing it for me, because I want to. You don't have to have read Scar to understand this, but it helps.

"Er," said Jack, looking around the estate, "nice place you've got here."

"No, it's not," said Rose. "It's a dump." She smiled fondly. "But it's _my_ dump."

The Doctor locked the door to the TARDIS behind them. "Well, last time we visited your dump, my ship got graffitied, so can we make this quick, please?"

They traipsed up the stairs to Rose's flat, admiring the new patches of damp. "It adds character," said Rose defensively.

"That it does," agreed Jack. "Miserable character. Think Scrooge."

"D'you mind not criticising my old home? It's not _that_ awful…"

The Doctor poked the toe of his shoe in the direction of a pile of dust and stone that had apparently fallen from the ceiling. "Not so much miserable as dangerous."

Rose ignored them and felt in her pocket for the key to the flat. Before she could pull it out, though, the door opened and Mickey was staring at her. "Rose! I knew it was your voice… What are you-? Did you hear, or something? We've just been talking about it now…" He grabbed Rose's arm and pulled her inside, barely glancing at the two men who followed her except to frown suspiciously at Jack.

Rose shook him off impatiently. "Mickey, what are you on about? Talking about what?"

But before he could reply, she was engulfed in a hug by Jackie. "Oh, Rose – you shouldn't be here! It's dangerous…"

"Mum," – Rose gently pushed her mother away – "what's going on?"

Jackie was eyeing up Jack. "Hello. Who are you?"

"Jack Harkness, ma'am," he said with a grin, taking her hand and kissing it. "A friend of your daughter. I'm travelling with her and the Doctor these days."

The Doctor, far from getting a hug or a warm welcome, received a frosty stare. He didn't seem all that bothered, though.

"Mum," said Rose firmly. "What's going on? What's dangerous?"

Mickey thrust a three week old local newspaper under her nose. "Page four. You might wanna sit down."

The Doctor and Jack looked on curiously as Rose, heedless of Mickey's advice, rifled through the newspaper until she found what Mickey was talking about.

Her face drained of all colour and her mouth dropped open slightly as she read. "'Ex-convict… appointed assistant maintenance manager of Cottingham estate… says he wishes to pay particular attention to the structural problems of Bucknall House…'" She stared at her mother. "Have you seen him? Has he come near you?"

Jackie shook her head. "No. But he's seen Mickey."

"Was asking about you," said Mickey, putting a hand on her arm. "Wanted to know where you'd gone. I did the annoyed ex-boyfriend bit, said you'd gone travelling with your new bloke."

Rose swallowed roughly. "He wouldn't dare try anything now – all his friends have gone, he knows we wouldn't think twice like we did last time."

Jack glanced at the Doctor. "Any idea what they're talking about?"

The Doctor's intense gaze was fixed on Rose as she stared once again at the paper, then tossed it shakily aside. "Maybe."

Rose shook her head quickly. "Honestly – look at me, acting like a prat… I bet it'll all come to nothing…" She looked up and saw the Doctor and Jack watching her. "Oh! Course – sorry, you two, I'll just go and get my stuff – I was only dropping in to pick up a few things, mum, I'll be out of here in a bit…" She hurried off to her bedroom, Jackie close behind her.

Mickey eyed Jack. "Where d'you come from, then?"

"Well, you know how it is," said Jack casually. "51st Century guy in the 1940s meets a 21st Century girl and her 900 year old alien friend… we hit it off. So you're Mickey Smith, huh? Let me ask you something – you ever take Rose dancing much?"

Mickey frowned, confused. "No, not really. Why?"

"No reason."

The Doctor sucked in a sharp breath, and they turned to look at him. He was holding the newspaper, reading the article that Rose had been so affected by earlier. "Jimmy Stones," he hissed. "That _bastard_."

"OK," said Jack, "you're gonna have to fill me in here cos I'm lost, folks."

The Doctor's mouth was set in a thin, angry line. "Rose's ex-boyfriend," he ground out, "is working here. On the estate. This is the same boyfriend who stabbed her a few years ago."

"_What?_"

Mickey nodded. "D'you read what he said? About paying attention to Bucknall House, to _this_ building? That's not a coincidence, you know. And he came looking for me, wanting to find out where Rose was… he's gonna come after her, isn't he? Finish the job off…"

"Don't be stupid," said the Doctor. But somehow his words didn't sound as strong or as sure as they usually did. "He's probably out to cause trouble, though. I think we should-"

He broke off as Rose came back into the room with a shoulder bag. "…fine," she was saying to her mum in a heated undertone, "so stop fussing, OK? Just leave it." She gave a forced smile. "Sorted. So, shall we go?"

"You were _stabbed_?" said Jack, staring at her.

Her smile faltered. "Er… yeah. But that was a long time ago. Are we going, or what?"

Jack's hands curled into fists at his side. "I think we should find this guy, have a word with him-"

"No," said Rose, surprising them with the vehemence in her tone. "It's not going to solve anything, so don't you dare, Jack – I mean it."

"OK," he said quickly, holding his hands up in a placating manner. "OK, Rosie, I won't."

She relaxed slightly, but out of the corner of her eye she caught the Doctor bristling. She knew he disapproved of Jack's pet name for her. He disapproved of most of the things Jack did with regard to her.

"Let's go," she said softly.

"Be careful," Jackie muttered, giving her a quick hug.

The three men – Mickey had included himself in their party without being asked – stuck close to her as they returned to the TARDIS, which irritated Rose no end. "If you lot don't stop treading on my heels," she said at one point, "I'm going to trip and go flying down these stairs, and then we won't have to worry about… about Jimmy, cos I'll be dead."

As unfunny as they found that, they backed off.

At the doors to the TARDIS, Mickey put a hand on Rose's arm. "Your mum said she was thinking of going to stay with your aunt for a few days. I'll call you if anything happens, yeah?"

"Thanks, Mickey," she said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Take care, OK? Don't let him hassle y- oh."

She was staring, frozen, at a spot over Mickey's shoulder. They all turned to look, and saw a young man watching them. He was in his mid-twenties, with a crop of dark blond hair and broad, muscular shoulders. Although neither the Doctor nor Jack had ever met Jimmy, they knew instantly that this was him by Rose's reaction.

Hey whole body had gone tense. Her shoulders were pushed back, and her expression was guarded, but the Doctor could see that she was concentrating very hard… as if she were trying to remember something.

Rose _was_ trying to remember something, in a fashion.

She was looking at Jimmy and remembering the night she'd gone to his flat to break up with him… the night he'd stabbed her… She'd been afraid of him then, and she'd been afraid of him on the one occasion that she saw him afterwards, although she'd found the courage to tell him to stay away from her and her mother.

Yet now… she felt no fear. A degree of cautiousness, yes, and a good deal of anger and disgust, but no fear. Funny, that. She'd always thought that if she met him again, she'd be terrified.

So when he approached their little group and said, "Hello, Rose," she was able to reply in a perfectly steady voice, "Hello, Jimmy."

"You keeping well?"

"Yes."

"Your mum OK?"

"Yes."

"This your new bloke?" he gestured at Jack.

She linked one arm into Jack's and the other into the Doctor's. "What's it to you?"

Jimmy accepted that with a small smile. "Look, I…" He seemed unable to meet her eyes. "I wanted to… to apologise. For what I did."

Rose opened her mouth but the Doctor spoke first. "Say it," he spat furiously. "Say what you did to her, you little-"

"Doctor!" She was gripping his arm tightly, yanking on it. "Don't start, OK?"

"Don't start? Rose, you could have _died_. He nearly murdered you."

"I know!" she shouted. "I _know_. But… it doesn't matter anymore. I dunno why – I thought it would – but it doesn't, so please don't make it matter again, because I… I can't…"

He stared at her, and for a few painfully brief moments everything else fell away, it was just them.

_Let me help you_, his eyes were saying desperately. _I couldn't help you the first time, I wasn't there, but let me help you **now** – let me protect you the way I need to._

She took his hand. _You've already helped me_, her eyes replied, _and I'm so grateful. Just stand with me, that's all I want._

His fingers squeezed hers, and then suddenly they were back, and Jimmy, Mickey and Jack were looking at them oddly.

"I'm sorry," said Jimmy again. "If I could do things differently, I would, but… I'm sorry, Rose."

She nodded. "It… it's OK."

"It's not. And I can't ask you to forgive me, but I just wanted you to know that I regret it. Every day, I do."

She nodded again, and offered him a half-smile. "Bye, Jimmy."

"Bye, Rose."

And just like that, it was over. Jimmy walked away. They got into the TARDIS. Mickey went home.

"Surreal," said Rose, dumping her bag on the floor, "or what?"

Jack, who was practically an expert at sensing the tone these days, picked up Rose's bag. "I'll go put this in your room, OK?"

"Thanks Jack," she said, but her eyes were fixed on the Doctor. "And don't you go looking in it, cos I'll know."

"Would I do that, Rosie?" his voice echoed down a corridor. And then they were alone.

Almost at once the Doctor opened his arms wide, and she stepped into his warm, comforting embrace. "Are you all right?" he asked, his breath hot on the top of her head.

"Yeah," she said honestly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Better, actually."

"Good."

She looked up at him. "Thanks. For being with me, I mean."

"For you, Rose Tyler – anything."


End file.
